The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that it has reached a settlement with the Jersey City Board of Education to end admissions practices at a local college preparatory school that the department concluded discriminated on the basis of race and national origin.
In a statement on Thursday, the Justice Department said: "This week the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Jersey City Board of Education entered a voluntary settlement agreement to end race and national origin discrimination in student admissions at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School." The school did not return calls for comment.
The settlement, the department said, resolves its investigation into the admissions process at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School. According to published rankings cited by the department, the school is placed fourth in the state of New Jersey. The same publication reports that the school's student body is 81% minority and that 34% of students are economically disadvantaged.
Under the terms announced by the Justice Department, the district must redesign its admissions procedures and is prohibited from reserving a set number of seats for students on the basis of race or national origin. The agreement includes a timeline for implementation and monitoring: it will remain effective until mid-August 2029, and the district is required to submit status reports to the Justice Department documenting the school's admissions process.
The district is also obligated to adopt an admissions policy that complies with the settlement's prohibitions before the next admissions cycle for the 2027-2028 school year, the department said.
The action is the latest in a broader federal push under the current administration to challenge diversity, equity and inclusion practices across education. Federal scrutiny has targeted institutions ranging from top-tier universities to local school districts, and the administration has sought to condition or freeze federal funding over a range of contested issues. The Justice Department statement noted the settlement as part of its enforcement activities in this area.
Advocates for civil rights and some academic experts have voiced concerns as federal enforcement on these topics has increased, raising questions about free speech, due process and academic freedom. The administration has characterized many diversity practices as discriminatory toward white people and men and has issued executive actions aimed at reducing or eliminating DEI initiatives within government and the private sector.
The settlement at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School represents a concrete federal intervention that will be in place for several years and requires reporting and a revised admissions policy ahead of the 2027-2028 admissions cycle.